I was casually browing vitamins in Boots earlier (a UK drugstore) and in the herbal section they had tablets for acne,clear skin etc. Anybody ever used anything like that? One type,which was called clear complexion in an orange box,was only £2.20 so I might just give it a go anyway at that price.

Sometimes I go through a phase of drinking a cup or two a day of herbal tea with similar ingredients - bought from Holland & Barratts - and while my main reason for getting these teabags was as an alternative to drinking coffee all day, I do think they make a difference to my skin in terms of overall clarity.

Heath & Heather Nettle Tea and Dr Stuart's Skin Purify, they're not that expensive either, there's usually some special offer in-store. Although if you're not keen on the taste of herbal teas - some can be quite bitter - then you might be better with the tablets.

Anybody any recommendations for a face wash for acne prone skin? I've nearly run out of the one I'm currently using by clean and clear (I only purchased it because it was on offer) and I honestly think all of the ingredients in it probably do my skin more harm than good,so I'm looking for one that will help my skin,but is a bit more natural.

I've found gentle cleansers to be the most effective, but it really depends on your skin type. I have dry/sensitive skin and mild acne and found that oil based cleansers although were very good the first few times, ended up making my skin very dry. I also broke out more. For me Avene cleansing milk, Aesop cream cleanser and REN ultra moisture cleansing milk are all very good.

It's much more gentle than my old stuff and doesn't make my face so dry and red. I'm starting to wonder if my acne problems have been fully taken care of. I haven't had a breakout in about a month. The problem I have now is still blackheads on my forehead, which aren't too bad by themselves, but some of them get swollen and red. Unfortunately, none of my normal acne products work on them, so I guess I'll have to try the Dr. Brandt stuff that lucy92 mentioned. I'm not too keen on the price, but if it gets the job done, it's worth it.

^I have read the reviews. They are what has convinced me to try the Dr. Brandt stuff. The vast majority were highly positive, and the negative reviews seemed to be mostly by people who didn't understand how to use the product or didn't use it for long enough. As far as the cause of my blackheads, it isn't the heat. It's that I was stupid and heavily overtreated my entire face with salicylic acid moisturizer back in March when I first had issues with bad hormonal acne on my jaw. That is pretty much what caused all of my issues for then onward; me being a total idiot.

I like Sea Breeze. It's a bit harsh simply because it has salicylic acid in it, but I haven't really had any major issues with it thus far. I'm just glad to have something other than my old stuff that works. I may switch over to the non-salicylic acid version at some point if I think my acne is in the past, but for now, I'm happy with what I've got. Plus, it smells nice.

I think my skin is in something of a transition state. Back during my adolescence, I needed really harsh products and my skin was able to handle them better. Now that I'm exiting my teens, I don't need such powerful treatment to get results, so I can switch to using weaker, less harsh stuff.

First impressions of Dr. Brandt Pores Away Vacuum Cleaner are very good. It works very well to loosen the blackheads. I used Biore strips right after I rinsed it off and they worked WAY better than they did before. I think that with continuous use, I should be able to reduce the number of blackheads a great deal, although I'm not sure that I'll get rid of them entirely. We'll have to see. Word of advice though; while I only have one application to use for reference, I feel pretty confident in saying that I don't think the vacuum cleaner will work very well by itself. I think that it is imperative that it be used in conjunction with pore strips for the best results.

I've been using Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion and I'm really loving it. No weird ingredients which is a plus and I love the way the Almonds smell in this.

I've been using it as an eye make-up remover as well and it doesn't sting my eyes or require a lot of rubbing to get my skin clean.

Honestly this is the best cleanser, I've used it for years on and off, including during and after Accutane. Even when things like Dermalogica's UltraCalming range irritated my sensitive skin, this never did. Nor did it break me out. Plus it smells like marzipan

This is such a great thread. I was wondering though if anyone has any suggestions for fading or diminishing post-acne marks?

I have had AMAZING results with at home glycolic and lactic acid peels. the take some getting used to but yield worthwhile results. I get mine from www.markupartistschoice.com. They have a tca peel i would loke to try but it requires some downtime which i just dont have

__________________ "So many women think it only takes just an expensive bag to be instantly chic. No lady, you are a plain person holding a trophy"-shadow of tFS

This is such a great thread. I was wondering though if anyone has any suggestions for fading or diminishing post-acne marks?

This little thing works wonder on me !
You have to apply it only where you have a spot, because it makes the skin very dry, but every spot disappears so quickly with it. They have many products in the "Effaclar" section of La Roche-Posay, I think it's worth a look. I haven't tried the others because I don't have too many spots but they have good reviews usually.